1. Technical Field
The invention relates to electronic equipment that is used in connection with boats and ships. More particularly, the invention relates to a sonar mount for use with a boat or ship.
2. Description of the Background Art
Performing sonar surveys is an important marine industry. The usefulness of sonar surveys is directly affected by the accuracy and precision with which the sonar head is mounted to the boat or ship. As well, sonar surveys are important for Homeland security, in addition to and federal and state mandates for management of coastal zone resources.
Sonar equipment typically consists of an electronics unit, which is placed in the boat for the operator to use, and a sonar head unit, which is placed in the water beneath the boat. Accurate and precise placement of the sonar head is critical to correct operation of the sonar equipment. It is not possible in most cases to install a sonar head to a boat at the time the boat or ship is manufactured. Rather, such equipment is retrofitted to the boat. If a boat has sonar equipment, then a provision must also be made for removing or otherwise relocating the sonar head from the boat when the boat is placed on a trailer. This is because the sonar head typically projects well below the bottom of the boat's hull and, as such, would prevent the boat from being trailered without first removing or relocating the sonar head. This introduces many problems with regard to recalibrating the sonar head to the boat when it is replaced. Further, the sonar head is typically part of a heavy mounting assembly and, as such, positioning and replacing the sonar head is not a trivial task.
It would be advantageous to provide an enhanced sonar mount structure, system and associated process that improves the accuracy and precision with which a sonar head is mounted to the boat or ship. Such a development would provide a significant technological advance.
Furthermore, it would be advantageous to provide such a sonar mount structure, system and associated process that is readily integrated with associated marine electronics, and provides ease of setup, usability and efficiency to get a survey task performed, so the user can focus on real-time decision making. Such a sonar system would constitute a further technological advance.